The development of disability-related employment policies in the South African public service

Abstract

AUTHORSBrian Kwazi Majola Rubby Dhunpath ARTICLE INFOBrian Kwazi Majola and Rubby Dhunpath (2016). The development of disabilityrelated employment policies in the South African public service. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 14(1-1), 150-159. AbstractWorldwide, the employment of people with disabilities has been challenged by the slow development of 'workplace specific' disability employment policies. The focus has been on formulating legislation to overcome barriers and the implementation of national disability policies without ensuring that workplaces formulate such policies. While laws regarding disability have been on the statute books for two decades in South Africa, little is known about how effective they have been and their impact in the workplace. This article examines whether South African government departments have developed or reviewed employment policies for the benefit of people with disabilities, and determines whether policy makers were aware of the existence of the Disability Code (Republic of South Africa, 2002) and the Technical Assistance Manual (Republic of South Africa, 2005) when the policies were developed or reviewed. Human Resource Managers from 16 government departments in KwaZulu-Natal Province were interviewed. It was found that although HR policies were in place and some were being developed, very little has been done in terms of reviewing and/or developing disability employment policies. Furthermore, the existing prescripts were not extensively used as a resource during the development of disability-related employment policies. This has negatively affected the employment of people with disabilities in the public service. It is hoped that the results will assist management, HR practitioners as policy makers, and line managers to develop disability employment policies in order to attract and retain people with disabilities. The research also contributes to the existing body of literature on disability.

Including parents in inclusive practice: Supporting students with disabilities in higher education

“…While non-disabled students generally find part-time employment in industries that typically employ students such as restaurants and shops, students with disabilities find it difficult to obtain part-time employment, either because of transport challenges or because of the physical nature of part-time work. A study by Majola and Dhunpath (2016) highlights the difficulty that people with disabilities face when they seek gainful employment. Most students were thus dependent on their parents for their everyday expenses as well as for the more expensive items.…”

Unlocking Financial Well-Being for People With Disabilities: The Importance of Financial Knowledge and Socialization Within the Family Context

“…Similarly, Shim et al (2010) showed that employed youths were likely to be more financially literate than non-employed youths. People with disabilities, especially adolescents or young adults, often rely on their parents for assistance and have limited involvement in the labor market (Goodman et al, 2017; Majola & Dhunpath, 2016).…”